Remember
by Canon Archives
Summary: Everyone says that Hermione could hear Ron from the cellar and that's how she stayed sane. Well yeah. Literally. If Ron hadn't been screaming her name over and over like a madman she would have lost it long before they got out. Here's her POV of the torture. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Pain.

For that one moment, all she could feel was pain. But it wasn't just the kind of pain you feel when you're wounded. It was more like knives were stabbing her all at once, all over her body, and a paralyzing burn pierced through her insides.

All she could see was red, swirling around in darkness. Her mind, something for which she had always prided herself, had gone completely blank. She knew of nothing but the pain of the moment, and the instinctive need to make it stop.

Slowly, the pain dissipated. She was left with a throbbing head and she could hear her blood pounding through her ears. She reminded herself to breathe.

"You have something of mine, Mudblood," she heard a voice hiss. She opened her eyes and saw the face of Bellatrix Lestrange looming above her. It took her a moment to comprehend the words, and then she racked her brains to try and remember what was going on. Why was she even here? Had she done something wrong? What did she have?

"Where did you get it?!" Bellatrix screeched angrily at her.

She suddenly became aware of wetness on her cheeks, which she realized were tears. Her heart pounded as she tried to focus, and tried to remember what she might have taken that belonged to Bellatrix. Fear coursed through her. "I— I don't know..." She whimpered in a scratchy voice.

"Tell me! Crucio!"

And suddenly the pain returned, even worse than before. She heard herself scream, her body begging for it to stop, her mind whirling in confusion, while trying desperately to remember why this was even happening. She was on a mission for something... They were looking for something... They? Who was they? Who was she? Her name was... something... Did she have parents? Yes, yes she did, but... Had something happened to them? She couldn't remember...

Through the sounds of her own screaming in her ears, she suddenly heard another voice. It was distant, but it was calling something... A name...

" _Hermione!_ "

Hermione. That's right! Hermione was her name! Someone was calling for her! And she knew that voice. She knew it from somewhere... It was someone she knew, certainly. A good someone, definitely a good someone...

The pain faded again, and Hermione sucked in air. She kept trying to focus on who she was and what she might be doing here. She wasn't guilty, she knew that now. Someone was with her. Someone very very good, someone comforting and warm... They were on a mission together trying to find something... She knew that voice... His name was—

"Ron," She murmured to herself, and she opened her eyes. That was right! They were working together to find something... Had they found it? Was that why Bellatrix thought she had taken something from her?

"What was that?" The witch hovering over her taunted. "You want your little friends? Aw... Which one? The blood traitor? Or the weak helpless Potter boy?" She snickered. "I'm going to handle them after I'm done with you, you worthless piece of crap!"

 _Potter_ , Hermione remembered. Harry Potter! She was with him too. They had been in a forest. They had been running from something...

Before she could determine anymore, another intense jab of pain shot through her body. She screamed again, louder this time, concentrating on the idea that Ron was there and could hear her. Ron, she remembered, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter, who were her friends and could help her. Her friends, Harry and Ron... Ron... Her mind faltered as she was pulled into the blinding swirling blood behind her eyes. Her chest burned from lack of oxygen and she suddenly wished she could just stop breathing altogether...

" _Hermione! Hermione!_ "

She heard her name again, mixed in with high pitch screams and shouts. Ron was there! She had to keep breathing and then he'd come get her out...

The pain subsided again, and suddenly she could breathe, her lungs gasping for air. Her body was completely numb and all she could see was some light shining through her eyelids.

"Now," Bellatrix's voice spoke calmly. "Why don't you tell me where you found that sword."

 _The sword_ , Hermione tried to remember. There was a sword that they needed. A very important sword that helped them on their mission... Had they been looking for it? No, no, they were looking for something else. But had she taken the sword?

"I... didn't..." Hermione tried to speak as she breathed heavily. "I don't have it..."

"You are lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it!" Bellatrix shouted again. "You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, _tell the truth!_ "

The pain returned, but Hermione held onto her last words. Was there something in Gringotts? She had never been inside Bellatrix's vault. That was true, she knew that. _Had_ she taken the sword though? No, no, she wasn't guilty, she knew that too. But they were searching for something...

Fire pierced her skin and Hermione heard herself scream again. She couldn't keep going... She was going to die...

" _Hermione!_ "

She tried to gasp but couldn't feel her lungs. Everything was blurry and nausea washed over her. _No!_ She yelled at herself. She had to stay conscious... Ron was coming...

She barely had a chance to catch her breath before Bellatrix was screaming at her again.

"What else did you take? What else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"

She could feel her body straining as the next knives shot through her. She didn't know how much longer she could last... But she had to stay alive. She had to get back to Ron...

" _Hermione! Hermione!_ "

 _Ron!_ She yelled back in her head. She was aware of herself sobbing through the pain. _Ron!_ She tried to remember the comfort she associated with that name, and focused on how she remembered his face. She wished he would hold her and make all of this stop.

When the pain ceased and was replaced by throbbing and numbness, her eyes were squeezed shut as she made herself stay awake. She had to come up with some lie about what they were doing. She knew they needed a sword, but why and how they had gotten it she couldn't even remember...

"How did you get into my vault?" Bellatrix demanded. "Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"

 _Goblin_ , Hermione caught the word. What goblin? She was pretty certain they hadn't been with a goblin.

"We only met him tonight!" Hermione choked out. "We've never been inside your vault..." Hermione racked her brain to try and remember what the sword was... It was meant to destroy something bad... Goblins made swords... The sword of... The sword of _Gryffindor_! "It isn't the real sword!" Hermione lied quickly, remembering something about the sword of Gryffindor. Maybe... Perhaps there was a copy somewhere else? Yes that sounded right. "It's a copy, just a copy!"

"A copy?" Bellatrix sneered. "Oh, a likely story!"

Hermione braced herself for more pain, but her lie had stalled the torture.

"But we can find out easily!" Another voice in the room said. Hermione had no idea who it was, but she knew he wasn't good. "Draco, fetch the goblin! He can tell us whether the sword is real or not!"

 _Draco_... She recognized that name too, but couldn't remember who he was. He was bad... She was pretty sure he was bad...

Before she had a chance to remember, everything turned to darkness again. The pain shot through her head and she screamed, feeling the fire and knives everywhere. Her mind went blank again, unable to think or see or feel anything but pain and more pain...

For a moment she almost completely lost consciousness and silence closed in on her. A part of her welcomed it. _No!_ She yelled at herself. She couldn't fall unconscious, not yet, because... because...

The pain stopped again for a moment and she breathed. "...you hear that?" She heard a voice saying from somewhere. "What was that noise in the cellar? Draco— no, call Wormtail! Make him go and check!"

 _The cellar_... she held onto that word for some reason... There was something in the cellar... No, some _one_ in the cellar! There was someone important in the cellar. Someone who she needed... And they were going to go down there...

Before she could remember any further, one more shot of pain hit her and the world went dark. She heard nothing, felt nothing, saw nothing. Blood throbbed loudly in her ears, and for a moment all she was aware of was her own, ragged breathing. She could hear it slowing, getting fainter and fainter... This was certainly the end...

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

She was jerked back into the present, and she gasped desperately for air. Something was happening around her, spells were being cast. She couldn't see anything, but she forced her mind to think. Memory was what she had to hold onto. Where was she? Why was she here? Who was she? Who was she with? The questions whirred around in her mind wildly as she desperately searched for the answers. There was a reason she had to live, she knew there was, she just had to _remember_...

Her body suddenly felt light and the world swirled like crazy around her. Dizziness overtook her and she made herself stay conscious, despite all sounds disappearing from her senses. She thought she felt something gripping her hair, and something cold and sharp touched her neck.

Ever so slowly, with all of the energy she had left in her body, she pushed her eyelids open just enough to see blurred light. After a few blinks, her vision cleared slightly, and a tall figure with red hair came into focus. For one moment, his frightened blue eyes locked with hers, and she felt a cool calmness overtake her numb body. Relief washed over her, allowing herself to relax fully, before she finally let everything go black.

 **Thanks for reading! Please please please leave a review and tell me your thoughts!**


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